Dar asked to allocate $600m for HIV/Aids

Tanzania government has been advised to allocate between $600 to 640 million per year in the coming four years through self mobilization to help fight against HIV and Aids response.

The advice was made by the Civil Society Organization National Steering Committee on HIV and AIDS Response (CSONSC), Agnes Junga during the recent HIV and AIDS policy review meeting organized by TACAIDS, including local and foreign health experts.
She said in order to stabilise the fight against HIV and Aids sector in the country, there is need to focus on preventing new infections through availing enough ARVs to the victim saying this will only be met with the stability of the country’s own resources.

“We currently depend too much on donors. We need our own resources to provide ARVs to victims in order to suppress the HIV virus and stop the progression of the disease, she said, adding that once drug is effectively used for three consecutive years, an infected person is unable to transmit infections to other person”.

For his part, the Chairperson of the National Council for People Living with HIV and AIDS (NACOPHA), Vitalis Makayula, appealed to the government to introduce ARV’s factories in the country besides mobilizing resources efforts.Makayula said locally produced ARVs will ensure excess of the drugs, something that fails with the donor support medication.

“Not all HIV and Aids victims have access to ARVs. Victims despite donor support, we face acute shortages of the drugs, sometimes with a total deficit of the second line ARVs, while the demand keeps on rising on daily basis” he said.
The second line ARV is the substitute dose to be given to patients who have experienced side effects on their first doses.

According to him, the introduction of ARVs factories in the country will raise the country’s internal source of incomes and individuals as wel as saying this will likely encourage victims to have balanced diets in order to maintain their health.
A representative from the Development Partners group on HIV and AIDS (DPG-AIDS), Michelle Roland, requested the government to tackle the shortages of health personnel, saying the country has only 44 per cent of the required health workers.

Michelle revealed that at least $197milion deficit was needed to cover for the planned 2015/2016 HIV/AIDS activities in the country.
She said the deficit comes after the donor funds supporting such initiatives became unable to fund the whole amounts of the HIV/Aids related activities.
The Global Fund for example has made it clear that it will only contribute $286million out of the government requested amounts of $485million, such deficit has resulted from other countries demands in HIV/ Aids related activities as well, she said.

According to the Director of Finance and Administration with TACAIDS, Beng’i Issa, the government intends to introduce AIDS Trust Fund next year to enable other stakeholders to support the campaign.